Hey Pune, Zora Has GOT TO Be Your Next Dining Destination

It’s been a long time since I fell for food the way a naïve young lady falls for her tall, dark, handsome knight in shining armour in all those romance novels. I remember it like it was just yesterday; my eyes lit up as I saw the exotic curried mixture of spices and herbs glistening in the candle light as the serving platter made its way towards me, the voluptuous bubble filled buttermilk waffles made my heart race, and one bite of this gorgeous creation had me smiling, with silent tears of joy rolling down my cheeks ( I’ve got alibi, in case you wish to confirm this)

“It’s a perfect first date / anniversary place” “I love the music” “Woah, this place is huge!” were things you could hear us saying before the Masala Whiskey and Blue-Red Wine Mojito were served to us. These magical concoctions had us quiet for a few minutes before the starters were served. Read on to know how that went.

I’m a huge fan of coastal flavours, hence the love for the Sukkha Tawa Chicken Masala with Waffles. Yeah, waffles. It’s genius. I’d now want to eat this dish with waffles instead of appams! While I write this, I’m filled with a bittersweet longing to go back to Zora and savour that dish once more. And if I’ve not managed to tempt you with my Instagram or Snapchat stories about the menu at Zora, here’s a sneak peak once again.

What We Had

Soups : Indian Summer Chicken, Creamy jhinga chilli & crisp bacon.

Don’t ask me to choose favorites, I’d confuse you enough to make you choose both. The Indian Summer Chicken is a light soup that is best enjoyed with a garlic brun while the creamy jhinga chilli & crisp bacon is a gorgeous thick soup which is a little on the heavier side. Both are great on taste, so no, not choosing favorites!

The chicken cakes were usual, light tikkis that you can opt for if you’re not in the mood for too much fusion. The chicken puchkas are a total hit with people (got a bunch of people on Instagram asking me to try it. Great decision, thank guys!) I’ve always, always, ALWAYS loved the Kerala-style preparations at most of the restaurants. Not many get it right, and that’s a different ball game altogether, but I prefer that flavor to the North Indian flavours (sometimes even butter chicken omg ikr) I obviously kept the Kerala Prawn Fry next to me till the staff insisted that they clear the table to bring us the main course. I had fallen in love.

Main Course : Sukha Tawa Chicken Masala, Butter Chicken Lasagna

Everyone has been raving about the butter chicken lasagna, and I had to give this a try. While I can see why this is such a hit, I had eyes, heart and stomach for nothing else once after I had a bite of then Sukha Tawa Chicken Masala. The first bite literally had me tearing up; I was beyond thrilled to have found a place that aced a fusion South Indian preparation . Okay maybe that was the second thought, all that I could think of at first was a way to keep this taste and feeling with me forever. Yeah, you can see that I’m in love. I’ll say no more.

Dessert : White Chocolate Blueberry Kulfi, Chocolate Puri

The chocolate puri came highly recommended by Instagram peeps, but was a little too sweet for my liking (a fun dish if 3-4 of you are sharing it. The stuffing consists of jelly and gems and the pani is the butterscotch/chocolate sauce. Top it with Magic Pops and you’re set) I remember taking small bites of the Blueberry ice-cream while we spoke with Joravar, the man behind Zora, and next thing you know the plate in front of me was empty. I don’t even like Blueberry and I single handedly finished 3 scoops of blueberry flavoured ice-cream.

I feel bad for not having visited this place till now. It’s been 8 months since Zora opened its doors to Pune with Joravar and Priyanka, a husband-wife duo creating magic in the kitchens. Joravar is a pleasant, humble and fun man to chat with, you’ll see him moving around the expansive restaurant space while he helps his customers have a great experience. One thing you might not know about Joravar- he’s a wonderful writer (I can see why I connected with him immediately.) I suggest you read the menu to see what I mean. The entire experience of simply going through the menu is magical (if you enjoy words as much as I do that is) Priyanka is spot on with her dishes and management, I couldn’t stop thanking her every time I met her (also, good food has rendered me speechless) This husband wife duo have gifted Pune a lovely dining experience, and I highly recommend you check this one out for yourself.

Catch ya later!

Zora is located in Ishanya Mall, opposite Blue Frog.

Contributing Writer: Protima TiwaryProtima is one of the most sought bloggers in the city. She gets into the depth of writing by always having something interesting in her blogs. Her articles have a personal touch, which makes the readers wants to keep reading! Much love Pro